Have you wondered what does it mean to be resilient? Being resilient refers to being able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Despite all of the work and preparation we put in, it’s inevitable that you will face challenges in life. Sometimes things will simply not work. Sometimes people will disappoint you, circumstances will not seem favorable, and you will have to pick up the pieces. So, how to be resilient so you can recover quickly from such conditions?
How to be more resilient? 11 commandments of life that help
Resilience is a crucial quality that plays a significant role in navigating the challenges and uncertainties of life. It is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and persevere in the face of adversity. Being resilient teaches us valuable lessons about ourselves, our capabilities, and the world around us.
Here are some changes that, when included in our daily lives, teach us how to be resilient:
1 Have a positive attitude.
A positive mental attitude is one of Napoleon Hill’s 17 principles of success. and remember that principles are hardwired, non-negotiable, and do not change, so you should make this one of yours. As a general rule, people with a positive attitude succeed more than people with a negative attitude. Yes, there are times to use negativity, but a generally positive attitude outperforms a generally negative attitude. This singlehandedly answers the question, “How to be resilient?”
What reasons do you have to be positive about your life, your career, your business, your relationships, and your direction right now? Writing the answers to these and reading them often helps you condition your mind to think positively consistently, not just as a one-time exercise.
2 Develop self-awareness.
You need to be self-aware to be resilient, simply so you know which buttons of yours you should press and when to press them. Not everyone is triggered, positively or negatively, by the same things. To put yourself in your most productive state, some people like to think about rainbows, flowers, and things that make them happy, like their kids.
Other people like to think about competition and winning. While some people like to look for motivation externally, others turn inward and think of something that exists only in their minds. You need to know what works for you. This is why self-awareness matters so much in your quest to be resilient. You should know more about yourself than you know about anyone or anything else. After all, you have to live with yourself forever.
3 Adaptability is key.
When wondering how to be resilient, know that being adaptable is a key skill, simply because things in life are always changing. Change is the only constant in life, so you should be very willing and able to adapt and adjust as necessary because circumstances are never exactly the same from one time to the next.
Understand that being resilient does not mean being obstinate and staying the same way, no matter what circumstances you face. It also means being able to bend to circumstances, adjust yourself, and make changes when change is necessary.
Remember what Bruce Lee said about being water? When you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. Water always adjusts to its circumstances. Be like water in the container called the world.
4 Be an optimist.
This is connected to your positive mental attitude. Optimism is, by definition, hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. It’s looking at your circumstances and expecting a positive outcome. Remember, in the long run of life, we usually get what we expect. It will help you to have a positive reason to be optimistic.
For example, if you’re going to run a marathon next week, it’s good to be optimistic about your performance – it’s even better if you have actually trained for the race, so you have a real reason to be optimistic. However, understand that being optimistic alone is not enough for you to achieve your goals: the secret lies in doing the work that affords you the right to be optimistic.
5 Network extensively.
This includes your relationships, your connections, and your people. Being resilient involves having other people around you who are just as resilient as you are. This enables you to pick each other up whenever anyone needs something. It’s not that it’s impossible for one person to pick themselves up, but it’s much easier if you had 10 other people helping you get up than it would be for you to do it on your own.
6 Be a problem-solver.
Sometimes your resilience is simply called upon to solve a challenge that is in front of you. The good thing about problems is that they all have solutions; otherwise, they wouldn’t be problems. So, the key to being successful is your ability to solve problems.
The answer to how to be resilient lies in one’s ability to identify the root problem that caused the problem in the first place. If you don’t address the right issue—your problem solving is inaccurate—then you will continue to have the same problems.
7 Master emotional regulation.
Emotional management refers to controlling and directing your emotions, instead of bottling them up. Learn to recognize when you are feeling a certain emotion, acknowledge it, and usually it goes away, calms down, or allows you to then control and direct it as you see fit. Being resilient also means being able to calm your mind and channel deep thinking to find clarity.
However, if you are not good at managing, controlling, and regulating your emotions, they will take the steering wheel of your vehicle and drive you straight into a brick wall. You will not win that fight. Resilient people learn to master their emotions, especially in challenging or difficult situations.
8 Set SMART goals.
Resilient people not only have goals but can keep their eyes on those goals even when the situation looks very adverse. This is why setting realistic goals matters so much: you can’t win if there is no goal to score on! Focusing on your goals can be a great way to deal with a challenging situation, as it refocuses your mind on the thing that you do want instead of the challenge that you may not want. This does not mean that you ignore the challenge. It just means you are focusing on where you want to be and how to direct your subconscious mind and all your human powers towards the things that you want.
9 Master self-care.
Self-care can take many forms, but it is anything that you do to actually take care of yourself. For some people, that’s listening to music, while for others, it’s taking a walk on the beach. Some individuals may consider going to the gym and letting off some steam through weights or a kickboxing class as self-care. For others, it is to sit down and read or to meditate and take time to think.
The answer to how to be resilient often resides in one’s ability to care for themselves. The more you take care of yourself, the more you will be ready to face a challenging situation. It’s just like if you take the time to work on your body, if there comes a time when you call upon your body to perform a great feat for you, like running a marathon, or lifting a heavy object, your body will be ready to respond because you have prepared it to do so.
10 Practice mindfulness.
Being mindful refers to a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. The definition says a lot about being resilient as well. When you focus on the moment that you’re in, whether that be your feelings, your thoughts, your energy, or whatever happens to be going on, you maintain your presence of mind amidst the turmoil of events. No matter what the situation is, you never want to lose your mindfulness or presence of mind.
11 Channel gratitude.
Yes, gratitude. Now, you may be wondering why you would want to feel gratitude in the midst of a challenging or difficult situation, especially one that you didn’t even want. You can feel gratitude for the fact that you are being faced with a challenge, as challenges usually preclude breakthroughs. No human life is without challenges, so when you’re faced with a challenge, at least you know you’re alive.
Challenges usually make us better if they don’t kill us, so you can have gratitude for that. Since you are probably the one best suited to solve or overcome this challenge, you can be grateful that the universe chose you to face it. What if someone who had half your level of resilience was faced with the same challenge? It might bury them. It won’t bury you; you can have gratitude for that.
12 Appreciate learning and growth.
When you’re faced with a difficult situation, you can learn from whatever led to that situation and grow from the fact that you dealt with it. You can also try to figure out what you did or did not do that led to the situation happening in the first place. and, ideally, you don’t face the same type of situation twice in life; you level up to bigger and more formidable problems moving forward. You shouldn’t have the same problems over and over again. So, a key skill of resilience that Ray Dalio talks about in his book Principles refers to breaking down or debriefing after the situation and figuring out what you may have missed given the knowledge that you had beforehand. And you can also, of course, figure out what you should know now so that certain situations don’t occur again.
Conclusion: How to be resilient
Indeed, resilience teaches us the importance of adaptability. The answer to how to be resilient lies in realizing that life is unpredictable, and change is inevitable. Resilient individuals possess the flexibility to adjust their strategies, perspectives, and goals in response to new circumstances. They understand that clinging to rigid plans or expectations can lead to frustration and disappointment. Instead, resilience enables us to embrace change as an opportunity for growth, innovation, and personal development. It teaches us to be open-minded, adaptable, and willing to explore new possibilities.
In summary, the importance of being resilient in life cannot be overstated. Resilience teaches us the power of perseverance, adaptability, and self-belief. By cultivating resilience, we equip ourselves with the tools to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life, emerge stronger from setbacks, and embrace change with confidence. It is a quality that can profoundly shape our personal and professional lives, enabling us to overcome obstacles, pursue our goals, and thrive in the face of adversity.
